Page 35 of I'm Gonna Get You Back
My voice comes out quiet but clear. “After the way they treated you? It’d be crazy not to.”
She smiles, holding my eyes a beat longer than I can stand.
“Hell yeah. I may not be a Legacy but you know I’m in,” Kenji says.
“Me too.” Mitchell grins.
With the moment officially smoothed, they both spring up.
“Okay!” Kenji exclaims. “I think I should probably make sure no one is breaking anything inside.”
“I’ll go with you. I’m cold,” Delaney says. I would think she’s escaping, but her teeth are starting to chatter. It isn’t warm, but it’s not freezing, either, and she’s in a heavy sweatshirt over her dress besides. “I should go home anyway. The Fun Run starts so early.”
“Do you want a ride?” Clara asks hopefully.
“Um.” Delaney darts me the quickest glance.
I know she wants to talk to Clara, but I plead with her silently,Not now. Not tonight.I just need a little more time. “I actually came with Nicole.”
“Oh.”
“Let’s catch up tomorrow after the run, okay?”
“Sure,” Clara says, obviously disappointed.
“You coming?” Mitch asks me.
Clara doesn’t move. I should, but I don’t, either.
Kenji and Mitchell exchange a look, then the three of them walk back to the house, leaving me and Clara alone again.
Her breathing goes stilted beside me, like she’s trying not to cry. “Sorry—I didn’t mean to make that so awkward. I just miss her.”
Fuck. I rub my dry, tired eyes knowing with certainty I’ve fucked upbeyond repair. Regretting that night with Delaney all over again. “You don’t have to apologize.” It’s all I can manage to say as I try to summon the bravery I need to fess up.
Clara hugs her knees closer to her chest, staring up at the stars again. “You didn’t say much before. Do you at least like it there?”
She means Stanford. College. The whole experience she doesn’t get to have.
“It’s all right,” I hedge.
“Any favorite classes?”
I shrug since I barely manage to make it to them. “No, nothing in particular.”
“Have you found your favorite run yet?”
I hesitate, rubbing my knee. I know what she’s doing. It’s her interview tactic. She starts with easy, mellow questions before going for the harder stuff. Trying to open me up like she used to.
“An eight-miler off campus through the trees. Reminds me of—”
I stop.
Reminds me ofourtrail.
Her curiosity clings to the words I didn’t say, but I can’t even approach the edges of this with her.
“Any new friends?”
